Mikel Arteta faces a potential Premier League title race crisis with 12 Arsenal players now injury doubts following what could prove to be a costly international break
It's been an international break to forget for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal, with 12 players now doubts for their return to league action. Martin Zubimendi is the latest to withdraw from his respective international side in recent days, in what represents a major concern for the Gunners.
Another recent injury setback came when Piero Hincapie pulled out of the Ecuador squad ahead of Tuesday night's fixture against the Netherlands. The Gunners star featured in La Tri's draw with Morocco on Friday evening, where he was substituted by Pervis Estupiñán in the closing quarter of an hour.
The 24-year-old has joined an extensive list of players to have been recalled from international duty by Arsenal this month. Noni Madueke, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka all withdrew from the England squad and returned to Arsenal for medical treatment, while Gabriel Magalhaes, William Saliba, Eberechi Eze, Leandro Trossard, and Jurrien Timber pulled out of their respective international squads.
Martin Zubimendi
The worry over Zubimendi is the latest in a string of unfortunate setbacks for Mikel Arteta's team in the past 48 hours. A statement from the Spanish FA, issued just hours after another injury shock, read: "Martín Zubimendi has withdrawn from the Spanish national team camp due to discomfort in his right knee.
"To avoid any risk and to protect the player's health, he has been removed from the squad. Arsenal FC's medical staff have been informed of the situation."
Piero Hincapie
Piero Hincapie represents another injury concern for Arsenal and Arteta, having withdrawn from Ecuador's squad for their match against the Netherlands on Tuesday evening. The defender has returned to the Gunners, but the extent of his injury remains unclear at present.
Leandro Trossard
Leandro Trossard pulled out of the Belgium squad for their international fixtures against the USA and Mexico due to a hip injury.
In a statement, the Belgian FA said: "This decision will allow him to continue their rehabilitation under optimal conditions."
Arteta was dealt another injury blow with both England internationals returning to Arsenal, leaving the Three Lions camp just a day after joining Thomas Tuchel's squad. The severity of any potential injuries is still uncertain at this stage.
An FA statement confirmed: "Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka will also return to Arsenal for medical assessment, having arrived on Friday along with nine other players.
"The rest of that group comprised of Dean Henderson, Nico O'Reilly, Ezri Konsa, Marc Guéhi, Dan Burn, Elliot Anderson, Morgan Rogers, Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane."
Noni Madueke
Madueke appeared visibly distressed as he walked past Thomas Tuchel on the touchline on Friday night, with later images proving especially concerning for the winger.
The 24-year-old, who was sidelined for 15 fixtures for the Gunners earlier this campaign with a knee problem, was spotted wearing a brace on his left leg as cameras caught him departing the ground. Consequently, Madueke has been pulled from Tuchel's squad with what England described as a 'knock'.
When questioned about which players would be departing the England camp ahead of next week's fixture, Tuchel said: "It's too early. Now we have some injuries and there's also a medical update on the players who came.
"Not everyone is fully fit as I understood. We will take late decisions and maybe take the decision only tomorrow to have a squad against Japan to compete."
Eberechi Eze
Eberechi Eze was absent from the Carabao Cup final following an injury picked up during Arsenal's Champions League victory over Bayer Leverkusen earlier this month. Eze withdrew from the England squad due to the calf problem, and will now face additional assessment.
However, it is understood that the attacking midfielder may be sidelined for approximately four-to-six weeks, representing a significant setback for Arsenal during such a crucial stage of the campaign.
The Gunners encounter five fixtures within 15 days following the international break, meaning squad rotation will prove vital to avoid further injuries and player exhaustion. Nevertheless, they will probably be compelled to navigate the exceptionally packed fixture schedule without Eze at their disposal.
William Saliba
Like Eze, William Saliba pulled out of this month's international fixtures, with France facing Brazil and Croatia. While the centre-back featured in Sunday's Carabao Cup final, an ankle injury picked up during the match resulted in his replacement by Maxence Lacroix for international duties.
The French Football Federation stated at the time: "William Saliba is unable to join the French national team's training camp, which begins this Monday, March 23. The Arsenal centre-back is suffering from recurring pain in his left ankle, requiring treatment and a minimum rest period of ten days."
Should France's evaluation prove correct, this suggests Saliba ought to be adequately fit to appear against Southampton in the FA Cup.
Martin Odegaard
Martin Odegaard was sidelined for last Sunday's Carabao Cup final with a knee problem. Having been unavailable for roughly a month, uncertainty remains over whether he will be ready for next weekend's FA Cup clash.
Gabriel Magalhaes
The Brazilian Football Federation issued a statement confirming that Gabriel would sit out his country's friendlies against France and Croatia due to "pain in his right knee." Scan results have also revealed an injury to the 28 year old centre-half.
Jurrien Timber
Jurrien Timber sustained an injury during Arsenal's victory over Everton earlier this month and has been absent since.
The full-back has also pulled out of Netherlands duty for their friendlies against Norway and Ecuador, with a statement from the Dutch FA confirming: "Sunderland defender Lutsharel Geertruida has been added to the Netherlands national team squad by national coach Ronald Koeman.
"This follows the withdrawal of Jurrien Timber (Arsenal), who has not yet sufficiently recovered from an injury and is therefore unavailable for this international break." Speaking ahead of the international break, Arteta confirmed the defender would be evaluated following the pause in club fixtures.
Mikel Merino
While Mikel Merino is expected to have sufficiently recuperated from his ankle injury in time to feature for Spain at this summer's World Cup, it seems the versatile midfielder's participation with Arsenal this campaign has concluded.
The club are taking a prudent approach concerning Merino's rehabilitation, and the player was seen at Wembley last weekend using crutches and sporting a protective boot.